AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS) Shares Sold by Lingohr Asset Management GmbH

Lingohr Asset Management GmbH reduced its stake in shares of AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (NYSE:AXS) by 9.8% during the 4th quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 10,776 shares of the insurance provider’s stock after selling 1,177 shares during the quarter. AXIS Capital comprises approximately 2.0% of Lingohr Asset Management GmbH’s holdings, making the stock its 11th biggest position. Lingohr Asset Management GmbH’s holdings in AXIS Capital were worth $952,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. True Wealth Design LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AXIS Capital during the 3rd quarter worth about $40,000. Steward Partners Investment Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AXIS Capital during the 4th quarter worth about $53,000. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its stake in shares of AXIS Capital by 24.0% during the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 671 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $59,000 after acquiring an additional 130 shares in the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of AXIS Capital by 73.8% during the 4th quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 671 shares of the insurance provider’s stock worth $59,000 after acquiring an additional 285 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of AXIS Capital during the 4th quarter worth about $60,000. 93.44% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling at AXIS Capital

In other news, Director Charles A. Davis sold 2,234,636 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $89.50, for a total transaction of $199,999,922.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director now owns 4,543,170 shares in the company, valued at $406,613,715. This trade represents a 32.97 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 0.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

AXIS Capital Stock Up 0.1 %

AXS stock opened at $94.97 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $7.67 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 7.69, a PEG ratio of 3.96 and a beta of 0.91. The company has a current ratio of 0.60, a quick ratio of 0.60 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27. AXIS Capital Holdings Limited has a 12 month low of $60.45 and a 12 month high of $98.11. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $91.60 and a two-hundred day moving average of $86.84.

AXIS Capital (NYSE:AXS) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, January 29th. The insurance provider reported $2.97 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.68 by $0.29. AXIS Capital had a net margin of 18.16% and a return on equity of 18.89%. As a group, analysts forecast that AXIS Capital Holdings Limited will post 11.19 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AXIS Capital Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 17th. Shareholders of record on Monday, March 31st will be issued a $0.44 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Monday, March 31st. This represents a $1.76 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.85%. AXIS Capital’s payout ratio is 14.25%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have recently issued reports on AXS. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their target price on shares of AXIS Capital from $115.00 to $118.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, March 13th. StockNews.com raised shares of AXIS Capital from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. TD Cowen raised their price target on shares of AXIS Capital from $118.00 to $127.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, November 27th. BMO Capital Markets assumed coverage on shares of AXIS Capital in a research note on Monday, January 13th. They issued a “market perform” rating and a $93.00 price target on the stock. Finally, JMP Securities reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of AXIS Capital in a research note on Monday, February 3rd. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and seven have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $100.25.

About AXIS Capital

AXIS Capital Holdings Limited, through its subsidiaries, provides various specialty insurance and reinsurance products in Bermuda, the United States, and internationally. It operates through two segments, Insurance and Reinsurance. The Insurance segment offers professional insurance products that cover directors' and officers' liability, errors and omissions, employment practices, fiduciary, crime, professional indemnity, medical malpractice, and other financial insurance related coverages for commercial enterprises, financial institutions, not-for-profit organizations, and other professional service providers; and property insurance products for commercial buildings, residential premises, construction projects, property in transit, onshore renewable energy installations, and physical damage and business interruption following an act of terrorism.